Figure 2
Bioluminescence imaging of immunocompetent SD and immunodeficient Rag2-/- rats infected with rTV-Fluc.
The replication and dissemination of rTV-Fluc in SD rats (a) and Rag2-/- rats (b). Three 4-week old female SD and Rag2-/- rats were inoculated with rTV-Fluc by intradermal (1 × 107 p.f.u) and intravenous injection (2 × 107 pfu), respectively. The relative level of bioluminescence was shown in pseudocolor, with red and blue representing the strongest and weakest photon fluxes, respectively. Since the dorsal images couldn’t visualize the dissemination of virus to the limbs, ventral images were shown here except the initial time point of ID injection. Values of total flux for each groups was shown on the right and each data point represents a mean value (n = 3). (c) Comparison of the intensity and duration of bioluminescence between SD rats and Rag2-/- rats inoculated via ID or IV injection. Bioluminescent images were superimposed on gray-scale photographs of rats at 6h, 1d, 3d, 6d, 9d, 20d and 35d post infection. A representative animal from each group was shown. Each data point represents mean ± SEM (n = 3). The differences between two subgroups were calculated using paired t-test. The living SD rat intravenously infected with 2 × 107 pfu rTV-Fluc was imaged at 6 hours (d) and 1 day (e) after infection. The different organs and tissues were dissected and imaged. 1) lymph node, 2) brain, 3) lung, 4) live; 5) spleen; 6) kidney; 7) ovary; 8) skin; 9) muscle; 10) heart; 11) fore limb; 12) hind limb; 13) large intestine; 14) small intestine. (f) Correlation of rTV-Fluc viral loads in various tissues to the intensity of bioluminescence at 1d and 35d post infection.
